The Polaroid SX-70 is one of Polaroids more famous cameras. If you can believe it, it's actually an SLR. Yes, it's a folding, single-lensed, instant-film SLR. I've only had mine for a few weeks and in that time have only gotten a few good images with it, so I'm going to hold off on passing judgement and doing a full review until I've spent a little more time getting used to it and really learning how to use it. For now, I'll just give you my first impressions.
I had been wanting to add a Polaroid to my camera arsenal for a while. After a little research, the SX-70 sounded like the right camera for me. Why? Unlike most Polaroids, it's an SLR, so you get more control over your images. It also folds up so it's about the size of a VHS tape (a VH...what?), which is pretty awesome. Not quite pocket-sized, but definitely easy to carry around.
In working condition, these things fetch a pretty penny on eBay, so I decided to try my luck at some antique shops around town. Actually, I went back to an antique shop where I saw a Rollieflex TLR for sale that I'm still kicking myself for not buying. When I got there, the Rollie was gone, but I came across this beauty. It said it worked, so I bought it for a great price. That same day I ordered my film from The Impossible Project and waited for it to arrive.
The day my film arrived I just couldn't wait to use it, so I popped in a film pack (and the dark slide ejected, which was a good sign), aimed at the nearest object, focused, pressed the big red button and... nothing. Finally, the photo popped out and it was blank. I figured it was just bad beginners luck, so I shot another. This time it felt like the mirror got stuck, which made me panic a little. It turns out it was just too dark in my house and it was doing like a 10-second exposure.
After putting the camera down and doing a little research (this film wants lots of light), I was able to start getting good exposures and decent photos. The film is still a little tricky to work with, so I'm definitely in the learning stages, but I see good things in my future with this Polaroid. I'll keep you updated with my results and will hopefully be able to write a full review sometime in the future. Also, expect reviews of the different Impossible Project films.
If you want to find out a little more about this camera, here's a great video that Polaroid put out in 1972 to explain how it works:
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